Fabric cutting apparatus



United States Patent 1111 3,538,799

[72] Inventor John B. Orlando [56] References Cited Scarsdale, New York UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 p 1968 3,161,099 /l964 Cornet ss/sssx z d as: 10,1970 2,643,715 H953 McClellan... 83/639X a e 2,912,249 /l959 Eckold 279/1X 1 8 gzg sfifmzfxfi CmnPanY 3,168,008 /l965 Bingel 192/131 acompany New York FOREIGN PATENTS 1,164,708 [1958 France 83/459 Primary Examiner-William S. Lawson Assistant ExaminerJames F. Coan [54] ESESS Q Z Attorney-Davis, l-loxie, Faithfull & Hapgood 521 U.S. c1 83/109,

33/123,33/459,83/57L83/588, 192/131 ABSTRACT: Fabric disc cutting pneumatic apparatus in- [51] Int. Cl 826d 7/02, cludes a double acting cylinder for operating a cutting 326d 5/12 member secured thereto by a magnetic chuck. The fabric is [50] Field of Search 83/905, retained in place under urging of a spring biased clam and cut into discs when a cylinder actuating valve detects the coincident enabling of two spaced, manually operated controls.

Patented Nov. 10, 1970 3,538,799

INVENTOR. JOHN B. ORLANDO Patented Nov. 10,1910 I 3,538,799 I Sheet i of 2 INVENTOR. JOHN B. ORLANDO 4 TTORNEYS 1 v FABRIC CUTTING APPARATUS DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION This invention relates to fabric processing machines and, more specifically, to an improved apparatus for cutting disc, wafer or other patterns out of natural or synthetic fabrics.

In many applications of present day interest, relatively small segments of varying materials must be fabricated. For example, annular discs of cloth, plastic, felt, vinyl or the like are required to cover buttons for clothing, upholstering and other applications.

It is desirable that machinery operatively producing such button covering discs have readily interchangeable active cutting tools such that discs for covering buttons of varying dimensions may be readily prepared and, moreover, prepared from a given lot of fabric. Further, provision should be made for rapidly and efficiently extracting the fabric discs from the cutting tool or other disc repository.

As a safety feature, the machine operator should be required to position his hands without the cutting zone before a cutting machine cycle can be initiated. This, in turn, gives rise to the necessity for a clamp or other mechanical bias to hold fabrics of varying thickness, and assembled in a varying number of layers, in place in the cutting zone since the hands of the operator are not available for this purpose. However, an improved .button covering, disc producing apparatus embodying the above-described advantages has heretofore not been available.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce an improved fabric disc cutting apparatus.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disc cutting arrangement wherein active cutting members of varying dimensions are readily interchanged, and wherein the fabric discs are easily extracted from the cutting members.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a disc cutting apparatus which requires the placement of both the operators hands at locations away from the cutting zone before a cutting cycle can commence, and wherein biasing apparatus is provided to accept and secure varying thicknesses of fabric in the cutting zone.

These and other objects of the present invention are realized in a specific, illustrative disc cutting apparatus which includes a double acting air cylinder having a translating rod therein. The rod has mounted on the lower end thereof a magnetic chuck to which is adhered by attractional forces a cutting cylinder of a desired diameter. A torsion spring biases a cloth assemblage in place beneath the cutting cylinder.

Two spaced valve actuating buttons are disposed away from the operative cutting zone. Valve apparatus is provided to drive the cutting cylinder through the cloth when the operator simultaneously depresses both buttons. The prepared discs may then be accumulated by pressing the cutting cylinder over an ejector rod.

A complete understanding of the present invention and of the above and other objects, features and variations thereof may be gained from a consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof presented hereinbelow in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective 'view of a specific illustrative disc cutting apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates selected pneumatic apparatus depicted in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an illustrative disc cutting apparatus whichincludes a double acting air (or other fluid) cylinder 10 mounted on a vertical main frame support member 20 via upper and lower clamps 22 and 24. A rod 14 is disposed in part in the air cylinder 10 and adapted for vertical axial translation therein.

An annular cup 12 is mounted on the upper end of the rod 14. The cup 12 extends to, and makes sealing contact with the inner diameter of the cylinder 10', and effectively divides the cylinder 10 into upper and lower pneumatic compartments 10a and 10b. A chuck block 16 is mounted on the bottom of the rod 14, and a plate 18 exhibiting magnetic properties is affixed to the block 16. A cutting cylinder 26 having a sharp lower periphery corresponding in inner diameter to the size of the desired fabric disc is selectively attached to the plate 18 via magnetic interaction.

The mainframe rod 20 is affixed to a frame plate 30 having an orthogonal front panel portion 31 on which are located two spaced valve actuating buttons 32 and 34. Mounted on the rod 20 near the plate 30 is a clamp 70 which comprises two protruding arms 74 biased downward by a torsion spring 72. The composite clamp 70 is attached to the rod 20 by a bracket 71 which may advantageously be adjustably secured at any desired point along the length of the rod 20. A stacked array of sheets of fabric to be cut into discs is held securely in place on top of the frame plate 30 by the downwardly biased arms 74. Alternatively, a solid sheet, for example, wood, may be disposed intermediate the fabric 80 and the frame 30.

The upper and lower cylinder compartments 10a and 10b, and a source of compressed air 36 are respectively connected to a valve 40 by way of conduits 42, 44, and via conduits 60 and 52 and a "T" section 50. The valve 40 also contains a control spool 41, two conduits 54 and 56 vented to the atmosphere, and two control pilot conduits 46 and. Many embodiments of the valve 40, illustrated schematically in FIG. 2, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the functional description thereof. One such valve is the VPP-4302 valve manufactured by the Versa Company, Englewood, New Jersey.

When the pilot conduit 46 is being supplied with compressed air, or has been so supplied after the other pilot 48 was last energized, the movable spool 41 resides in a stable, verti cally raised position. Accordingly, the passageway relationship between the spool 41 and the surrounding cavity in the valve 40 is such as to connect the upper air cylinder conduit 42 to the atmospheric venting conduit 54, and to connect the lower air cylinder compartment 101) to the pressure source 36 through a completed path comprising the conduits 44, 52b and 60, and the T" section 50. When these conditions prevail, the pressurized lower cylinder compartment 10b and vented upper compartment 10a generate an upward force on the cup 12, and drive the cylinder rod 14, the magnetic chuck assembly 16-18, and the cutting cylinder 26 to a fixed, upward position above the cloth 80.

Conversely, when the pilot 48 becomes energized and the pilot 46 deactivated, the spool 41 in the valve 40 moves to a downward position, thus pressurizing theupper cylinder compartment 10a and venting the lower compartment 10b. This drives the cup 12, rod 14, chuck 16-18 and air cylinder 26 downward. Accordingly, the cutting edge of the cylinder 26 is driven through the fabric layers 80, and the formed discs penetrate into the interstices of the hollow cylinder 26.

The valve 40 iscontrolled by a normally open valve 32v and a normally closed valve 34v which are, in turn, respectively actuated by the'buttons 32 and 34 on the main frame panel 31. In particular, when neither button 32 nor 34 is depressed. the normally open valve 32v passes air from the source 36 to the pilot 46, while air is blocked from reaching the pilot 48 by the normally closed valve 34V Accordingly, as above described, this results in the chambers 10a and 10b being respectively vented and energized, and the cutting cylinder 26 residing in a raised position. If only one of the buttons 32 or 34 is pushed,

both of the pilots 46 and 48 will be inert or energized, depending upon the particular button depressed. The forces on the spool 41 will be balanced in either case, and the normal frictional inertia of the spool will prevent any movement thereof. Accordingly, the cutting cylinder will remain raised.

When the buttons 32 and 34 are coincidentally depressed, the valve 34v opens to activate the pilot48 while the valve 32v closes to deactivate the pilot 46. Hence, the spool 41 is driven downward, the chamber 10b is vented, and the chamber pressurized to drive the cutting cylinder 26 through the fabric 80. When the buttons 32 and 34 are released, the valves 32v .and 34v return to their quiescent state, and the cutting cylinder 26 rises. In addition, I have found that the operation of the valve 40 and the movement of the cup 12 and the rod 14, are aided by the inclusion of a bleeder orifice 13 in the upper cylinder compartment a.

To summarize the operation of the disc cutting apparatus of H05. 1 and 2 during a production cycle, it is observed that the cup, rod and chuck l2, l4 and 16-18 initially reside in their quiescent, raised position. The operator may safely insert several stacked layers of fabric 80 beneath the arms 74 of the clamp 70 at this time. He then selects the proper size cutting cylinder 26 and places it against the magnetic plate 18 which retains the cylinder 26 by magnetic action.

The operator next simultaneously depresses both buttons 32 and 34, thus driving the cutting cylinder 26 through the fabric 80. The buttons are spaced at sufficient distance apart to require the use of both the operator's hands for coincident action, thus assuring that his hands are safely away from the cutting zone when the cylinder 26 is driven downward. When both buttons are released, the cylinder 26 rises, with the fabric discs inside it. By moving the fabric, and repetitively pushing the buttons 32 and 34, a large number of discs may be accumulated within any cutting member 26.

When desired, the operator pulls the filled, or partially filled cylinder 26 away from the plate 18, and replaces it with a different member 26 of the same or a different size to produce additional discs from the engaged fabric. Alternatively, at any point in production, the operator can change the fabric by simply raising the clamp fingers 74 against the urging of the spring 72, and insert new material.

When the desired number of discs have been accumulated within any cylinder or cylinders 26, the operator removes the cylinder from the chuck 16-18 and pushes the cylinder over an ejecting rod 77 affixed to the plate 30. This forces the discs out of the remote end of the cylinder 26 whereupon the discs may be readily collected and accumulated.

Thus it is seen that button covering discs may advantageously be fabricated in a rapid, efficient, and safe manner by the organization depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangement is only illustrative of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and ramifications thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, several cutting cylinders 26 may be simultaneously mounted on the magnetic plate 18 to increase the disc production rate. Moreoventhe cylinders may be of varying sizes to effect any desired mix of fabric segments.

lclaim:

1. in combination in cutting apparatus, pneumatic cylinder means, a piston adapted to selectively translate through said cylinder means, a rod connected to said piston, a magnetic chuck affixed to said rod, first and second conduits connected to said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston, a source of compressed air, control valve means connected to said first and second conduits,- said control valve means including venting means, spool means, and an input port connected to said compressed air source, said spool means including means for supplying air to said first conduit and venting said second conduit when in a first position and for supplying air to said second conduit and venting said first conduit when in a second position, third conduit means including normally open valve means connected to said control valve means for quiescently biasing said spool means to its first position, fourth conduit means including normally closed valve means connected to said control valve means for selectively switching said spool means to its second position when both of said normally open and normally closed valve means are actuated, hollow cutting means selectively affixed to said magnetic chuck and having a cutting orifice, an ejector rod fixedly secured to the frame of the machine and ads ted to fit within said cutting orifice to facilitate manual e ec ion of the cut pieces. and spring biased clamp means for securing work material in an operational relationship with said cutting means. 

